Abstract
Aim: Review of daily used 99Mo/99mTc generator and 99mTc radionuclide itself. Introduction: Technetium-99m is one of the most widely used diagnostic radionuclides in nuclear medicine.
It is daily obtained from 99Mo/99mTc radionuclide generator at nuclear medicine departments. It is mostly used for the preparation of a wide range of radiopharmaceuticals.
Almost 90 % of all SPECT examinations are performed by 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals. Issue description: However, there are many processes behind these everyday operations that are not visible at first glance - from the various options of parent radionuclide preparation, through the individual radionuclide generators' design, to the 99mTc elution itself.
In this article, the attention is also focused on the important chemical and physical properties of the radionuclide - 99mTc, which makes it so widely used. Despite these processes and properties, it is important not to forget the quality control, which must be carried out before use, whether as regards the eluate or the prepared radiopharmaceutical.
Technetium-99m is commonly used not only to cancer diagnoses. It is also used in cardiology, nephrology or neurology.
This article provides an overview of the most commonly used radiopharmaceuticals with their possible usage. Conclusion: The importance of 99Mo/99mTc generator is evident and most examinations in nuclear medicine are based on it.
For this reason, it is important to occasionally review the principles of production and preparation of given radionuclides and moreover, the characteristics that make it possible to prepare given radiopharmaceuticals quite easily. However, it is necessary also to mention the pitfalls and problems that these processes bring with them.